October 27, 2026 · 11:44 am

Traditional Correspondences of Samhain )O(

Greetings Darklings:

Samhain is 4 days away! I am almost ready. Today’s post will focus on the traditional correspondences of Samhain, our most beloved and magickal time of year. 

Samhain Correspondences

Other Names:
celtic ~ Summer’s End, pronounced “sow” (rhymes with now) “en” (Ireland), sow-een (Wales) – “mh” in the middle is a “w” sound – Greater Sabbat(High Holiday) – Fire Festival Oct 31-Nov 1(North Hemisphere) – Apr 30-May 1 – The Great Sabbat, Samhiunn, Samana, Samhuin, Sam-fuin, Samonios, Halloween, Hallomas, All Hallows Eve, All Saints/All Souls Day(Catholic), Day of the Dead (Mexican), Witches New Year, Trinoux Samonia, Celtic/ Druid New Year, Shadowfest (Strega), Martinmas or Old Hallowmas (Scotttish/Celtic) Lá Samhna (Modern Irish), Festival of the Dead, Feile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess), Hallowtide (Scottish Gaelis Dictionary), Feast of All Souls, Nos Galen-gae-of Night of the Winter Calends (Welsh), La Houney or Hollantide Day, Sauin or Souney ( Manx), oidhche na h-aimiléise-the night of mischief or confusion(Ireland), Oidhche Shamna (Scotland)

Rituals:
End of summer, honoring of the dead, scrying, divination, last harvest, meat harvest

Incense:
Copal, sandalwood, mastic resin, benzoin, sweetgrass, wormwood, mugwort, sage, myrrh or patchouli

Tools:
Besom, cauldron, tarot, obsidian ball, pendulum, runes, oghams, Ouija boards, black cauldron or bowl filled with black ink or water, or magick mirror

Stones/Gems:
Black obsidian, jasper, carnelian, onyx, smoky quartz, jet, bloodstone

Colors:
Black, orange, red, orange, gold, brown

Symbols & Decorations:
Apples, autumn flowers, acorns, bat, black cat, bones, corn stalks, colored leaves, crows, death/dying, divination and the tools associated with it, ghosts, gourds, Indian corn, jack-o-lantern, nuts , oak leaves, pomegranates, pumpkins, scarecrows, scythes, waning moon

Foods:
Apples, apple dishes, cider, meat (traditionally this is the meat harvest) especially pork, mulled cider with spices, nuts-representing resurrection and rebirth, nuts, pomegranates, potatoes, pumpkins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted pumpkin seeds, squash.

Goddesses:
The Crone, Hecate(Greek), Cerridwen(Welsh-Scottish), Arianrhod(Welsh), Caillech (Irish-Scottish), Baba Yaga (Russian), Al-Ilat(persian), Bast (Egyptian), Persephone (Greek), Hel(Norse), Kali(Hindu), all Death & Otherworld Goddesses

Gods:
Horned Hunter(European), Cernnunos(Greco-Celtic), Osiris(Egyptian), Hades (Greek), Gwynn ap Nudd (British), Anubis(Egyptian), Coyote Brother (Native American), Loki (Norse), Dis (Roman), Arawn (Welsh), acrificial/Dying/Aging
Gods, Death and Otherworld Gods

Herbs and Flowers:
Almond, apple leaf , autumn joy sedum, bay leaf, calendula, Cinnamon, Cloves cosmos, garlic, ginger , hazelnut, hemlock cones, mandrake root, marigold, mums, mugwort (to aid in divination), mullein seeds, nettle, passionflower, pine needles, pumpkin seeds, rosemary (for remembrance of our ancestors), rue, sage, sunflower petals and seeds, tarragon, wild ginseng, wormwood

Animals:
Stag, cat, bat, owl, jackal, elephant, ram, scorpion, heron, crow, robin

Mythical Beings:
Pooka, goblin,medusa, beansidhe, harpies

Essence:
Magick, plenty; knowledge, the night, death & rebirth, success, protection; rest, new beginning; ancestors; lifting of the veil, mundane laws in abeyance, return, change

Dynamics/Meaning:
Death & transformation, Wiccan new year,wisdom of the Crone, end of summer, honoring, thinning of the veil between worlds, death of the year, time outside of time, night of the Wild Hunt, begin new projects, end old projects

Work:
Sex magick, release of bad habits, banishing, fairy magick, divination of any kind, candle magick, astral projection, past life work, dark moon mysteries, mirror spells (reflection), casting protection , inner work, propitiation, clearing obstacles, uncrossing, inspiration, workings of transition or culmination, manifesting transformation, creative visualization, contacting those who have departed this plane

Purpose:
Honoring the dead, especially departed ancestors, knowing we will not be forgotten; clear knowledge of our path; guidance, protection, celebrating reincarnation

Rituals/Magicks:
Foreseeing future, honoring/consulting ancestors, releasing the old, power, understanding death and rebirth, entering the underworld, divination, dance of the dead, fire calling, past life recall

Customs:
Ancestor altar, costumes, divination, carving jack-o-lanterns, spirit plate, the Feast of the Dead, feasting, paying debts, fairs, drying winter herbs, masks, bonfires, apple games, tricks, washing clothes

Element:
Water

 

Threshold:
Midnight

By 

Credit given to: https://paganpages.org/emagazine/2008/10/01/samhain-correspondences/

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October 22, 2026 · 6:09 pm

The Spooky Origins of Samhain )O(

Greetings darklings,

I am preparing for Samhain. It creeps closer like an overly curious zombie or tarantula until you find yourself face to face with it. The grey sky is heavy and overcast today, and the rain falls hard, pounding the pavement. I miss my Vitamin D, or in other words, the sunlight. A black crow sits on a branch. Is he as pensive as me today? Does he not mind the rain or does he miss the sun too?  He looks watchful, his head darting about. 

I still have to buy a jug of cider, a pomegranate and I may have to accept that this year I will have no black taper candles. Paraffin is bad for the lungs anyway. Buying the candles is bad for my wallet, but I buy stuff anyway. I bought a bottle of wine to add to the cider. Samhain is a magical and special time of year. 

Samhain is an ancient Gaelic festival that marks the end of summer and the end of the year. It marks the beginning of winter and the Celtic New Year. Samhain means “Summer’s End’ in Old Irish. It is thought to be the modern Irish name for the month of November. 

The ancient Celts believed that boundary between the physical world and the Otherworld grew very thin at this time of year. It was customary to extinguish hearth fires at home and relight them from the communal bonfire’s embers for good fortune. Feasting was also celebrated during this spooky time of year. 

People held bonfires, wore scary costumes and masks to drive off dark spirits crafted from straw or animal pelts and carved root vegetables such as turnips. They went from door to door for food. Samhain was and is an ancient Celtic pagan and witch Sabbath. The Christian calendar honoured the dead through All Saint’s Day or All Hallows on November 1, which was followed by All Souls’ Day on November 2. 

During the 19th century, during and after the Great Famine of the 1840s, Irish emigrants brought their Halloween customs to America. Those tradtiions developed alongside other seasonal celebrations. Pumpkin carving became a common way to celebrate Halloween. 

Samhain marked a significant turning point in the year, the threshold between the old season and the new. Samhain was a time when the veil between the realm of the living and the dead were blurred or blended, for a short time. The days grew shorter and the nights grew longer. People must have gathered around with each other, as a comfort against the darkness and told each other stories. The flames at Tlachtga represented a light against the dark, a comfort to people. Ghosts, faeries and mysterious beings came alive in the stories they told each other. 

The longstanding tradition of pumpkin and/or turnip carving may have deep origins in the legend of Stingy Jack. He tried to trick the devil. He was condemned to wander Ireland with only a tiny flame inside a hollowed out turnip, doomed to wander the earth for an eternity. 

Halloween parties are common in Ireland. One tradition in particular stands out. On the island of Inis Mor, County Galway, the locals are so afraid of dark spirits that they mask their identities and stay silent even in local pubs. They even write down their drink orders. The only sound in the pubs is the ticking of a clock. That demonstrates a deep reverence for the dead, that is certainly not taken as seriously in North America.

They had good reason to fear the night time and dark spirits in the days of the anceint Celts. That fear has endured till modern present day. The dark spirits back then were known as slaugh, the spirits of the unforgiven dead. The slaugh belonged to the Unseelie Court, the Slaugh Sidhe, or ‘Fairy Host’. The spirits of the unforgiven soared through the night skies, searching for humans to ‘pick off’. 

An early report about these formidable spirits dates all the way back to the year 1690. “Highlanders making still a Distinction betwixt Sluagh Saoghalta {Earthly Host} and Slaugh Sith, implying that the Souls goe to the Sith when dislodged.'” 

Later accounts in the 19th century  tell that the Slaugh were believed to be ‘the spirits or mortals who had died’. In other accounts, the Host were armies having battles in the sky. On the Isle of Barra, a man Alexander Carmichael ” was told that the spirits fought great battles in the air and that, ‘their crimson blood may be seen staining rocks and stones.’ ‘Full nan sluagh’, the blood of the hosts is the beautiful red ‘crotal’ of the rocks, melted by frost.'” Beautiful blood? Well that is a new one to get my head around. 

In other stories, the Sluagh were a scourge, not a winged battle army. They could take the form of wind gusts, burn skin and cause boils. Sometimes they say the Host were winged like destructive birds. Sometimes they appeared like a frightening flock of ravens or crows. 

The Slaugh were believed to have flown from the west ‘in the mouth of night,’ wanting to steal souls. When a person was dying, the windows and doors on the west sides of houses were drawn shut. That was to keep nasty spirits out. The most dangerous time for encountering the Sluagh was at Samhain. They believed the gates of hell would open and the Host would ride out, flying through the night sky searching for unwary souls. 

The Sluagh sometimes returned humans to their mortal realms, but it was believed that the people were never the same again. The daughter of the King of France was woken at night and taken away by the Sluagh. She was returned after being carried a long way over land and seas. She died, but first she told her tale of hardship. 

There we have it. A blog post full of scary stories to keep you awake at night, from Stingy Jack to the elusive Sluagh. Have fun on Samhain!

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

Credit to: https://folklorethursday.com/folktales/the-sluagh-spirits-of-the-unforgiven-dead/

 

 

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October 20, 2026 · 1:52 pm

The Dark Side of Book Publishing )O(

 

The Dark Side of Publishing

Greetings Darklings:

October is here. The cold chill creeps in, and colorful autumn leaves grace the trees. People prepare for Halloween, and pumpkins can be seen on front porches.

Today’s post is about the dark side of publishing, the side that few aspiring authors ever see. At least, not until they find themselves trapped in its mire.

For the sake of those involved, I am not naming names here.

Let’s say you receive a publishing contract. That should be something to celebrate. But before signing anything, there are important things to consider.

It is always a good idea not to accept a contract blindly. Publishing contracts contain legal terms that can be confusing to an aspiring writer. They still confuse me at times! Have someone familiar with publishing contracts, such as a qualified lawyer or someone experienced in reviewing contracts through a writers’ organization, examine the terms.

Do not be afraid to ask questions or exercise your contractual rights. I highly encourage you to do so, whether you are independently or traditionally published.

That said, I still encourage you all to be patient. Nothing in publishing happens instantaneously. Strive to be professional. You can disagree with someone and still be professional. The two are not mutually exclusive.

And always stand up for yourself.

Recently, I became involved in a dispute with an editor at a publishing company. I am not naming the company or anyone involved. What began as a disagreement over cover art escalated into something far more unpleasant than I ever anticipated.

Under my publishing agreement, I had the right to approve the final cover design and artwork. I exercised that right because I was unhappy with the proposed cover.

Unfortunately, my objections were interpreted as disrespectful. I disagreed with that characterization. I believed I was raising legitimate concerns about a matter covered by my contract, not attacking anyone personally.

The situation deteriorated further when I was accused of misrepresenting something the editor had said. From my perspective, I was referring to statements that had already been made in our correspondence.

I found the entire experience deeply upsetting.

For much of the past year, what should have been an exciting publishing journey became a source of considerable stress. I was supposed to be celebrating the release of two horror books that I had worked hard to write. Instead, I felt absolutely drained and exhausted.

Sometimes major disputes arise between publishers, editors, and authors. If that happens, it is wise to understand your contractual rights and the options available to you.

Rights reversion is particularly important. Depending on the publishing agreement, ending a contract and recovering publishing rights may involve written notice, opportunities to resolve a dispute, or a formal termination agreement. There is no universal thirty-day rule. Authors should carefully review their own contracts and obtain appropriate advice before assuming they are free to submit their manuscripts elsewhere.

I also encourage authors to try to resolve disagreements with their publishers whenever possible. Misunderstandings and conflicts happen, and making a genuine effort to resolve them professionally is important.

My own experiences have made me more cautious about choosing a publisher. I am now particularly interested in established publishing companies with clear communication, fair contracts, and a demonstrated commitment to working collaboratively with their authors.

In my situation, the dispute escalated when the editor told me that I needed to apologize and that publication would be postponed unless I did so.

I did not believe I owed an apology for exercising my contractual rights. I was shocked that a disagreement over cover artwork had reached that point.

The stress affected me physically. My stomach was terribly upset, and I could barely eat for three days.

I began asking myself what the point was of having my books published under circumstances that had become so distressing.

I had tried to be careful and professional in my email correspondence. I did not intend to be disrespectful or ungrateful. Nevertheless, I felt that my character was being questioned rather than my concerns being addressed.

I was disappointed that the situation had not been resolved before reaching this stage.

Ultimately, I decided to seek the termination of my publishing agreements and the return of my publishing rights.

I would never wish to see another hopeful author endure an experience like mine.

Although I was extremely disappointed that my books would not be released as planned, I also felt tremendous relief when the dispute came to an end. My stomach settled, and much of the stress I had been carrying began to disappear.

I could finally look forward again.

I believe authors should be able to ask questions and exercise the rights granted in their contracts without feeling intimidated. That is one of the most important lessons I have taken away from this experience.

If you ever find yourself in a difficult relationship with an editor or publisher, remember that you have options. You may be able to resolve the disagreement, negotiate changes, or pursue termination under the terms of your agreement.

Know what you have signed. Keep records of your correspondence. Seek advice when necessary. And trust yourself enough to recognize when a professional relationship is no longer working.

I chose to pursue a different publishing future, and I have no regrets about making that decision.

Of course, not everyone in publishing behaves this way. I have interacted with many pleasant, helpful, and professional people in the literary world. Those positive experiences helped me recognize what I wanted from a publishing relationship.

I am continuing to seek representation and new publishing opportunities for my work. I know my writing deserves serious consideration, and I intend to keep trying until I find a professional relationship that feels right.

Meanwhile, October is slipping by, and Samhain is almost here!

I am cooking pumpkin to use for baking and will be bustling about the kitchen preparing for the season. I also found a dried brown mullein stalk, and I cannot wait to make a hag torch with it. I am so lucky to have found one!

The incense, herbal teas, and Halloween music are setting the mood beautifully.

I will be posting more about Samhain soon, and I will certainly share any good news if I am fortunate enough to find a literary agent or a new publisher.

One thing is certain: I will be much more careful about signing publishing contracts in the future.

Just getting published is not enough. I want to be respected, and I want to respect the editorial staff, too. I want to work somewhere I feel valued.

 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

Links to past Samhain posts! 

The History of Samhain

Sequel to How to Decorate for Samhain

How to Enjoy Samhain Safely

10 Ways to Celebrate the Ancient Holiday of Samhain (AKA Halloween)

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October 14, 2026 · 12:16 pm

Halloween Reads )O(

Greetings darklings,

The rain’s pouring hard today. I considered heading to the library to work on my witchy dress, but I looked out the window and promptly changed my mind. It never rains, but it pours. The fabric would have been soaked or ruined. No way. The Creative Studio is open at the library tomorrow. I will go then and hopefully, it won’t be raining so hard then. 

I have to do a few touch ups on the dress and finish the second lower hem ruffle. I just know that will add a beautiful touch to the dress. The lower hem ruffle is sewn from organza. I will take my time and do it right. The Creative Studio offers space, the tools and a positive atmosphere that allows me to be as creative as I want. I can’t ask for more. I do want the dress to be completed in time for Samhain! I want to wear it to a future booksigning event! 

I am proud to say Wicked Shadow Press has published my flash fiction stories in their anthologies, Asylumania: Paranoia and Flash of the Dead: Halloween 26. My latest flash fiction story, The Last Grave, appears in the Terrorween anthology. I love the work they put into the covers. All the covers are beautiful, eye catching and just amazing. It makes me proud to be included in the anthologies. I am presently searching for flash fiction markets that take reprints, so I can be paid for the stories.  The photo above shows one of their latest covers. 

Dreamweaver Press is now not releasing Cult of the Spider People.  I know I announced on my blog that the date was originally October 5th, but there has been a change. The publisher, editor and I all felt that it was in my best interest to revert the rights back to me, and for the Mourning Tide as well. 

Both books mean a LOT to me. They are both very different from each other, but they are based on my life experiences, the good and the bad. The Cult of the Spider People is about monsters and an alternate dimension that only exists within the book, but the outsiders, the heartache, the dark pagan horror mythos will resonate with readers because those themes are relatable. In The Mourning Tide, again there is a theme of the heroic outsider, of grief, death, love, hope, good guys defeating the bad guys. Those are also relatable themes. Readers can root for the characters in both books. They can identify with the main characters and hopefully, enjoy reading the books. I can’t wait to see the reviews on Amazon and Goodreads which will hopefully be positive. 

The Cult of the Spider People is about monsters, transformation, love and dark pagan horror mythos. I wrote the book when I was going through a massive heartbreak. That was when I wrote it and got the inspiration for it. Something just clicked to life inside me and I grabbed my pen and a blank journal. I emptied my pain onto the blank page. I filled page after page with my pain. The result is a powerful, memorable story. 

The Mourning Tide – I wrote that when I was not heartbroken at all. I got the idea for the novel  15 years ago. I just suddenly had an image in my mind of a woman alone in a house with a ghost. Bam! I grabbed my keyboard and began typing. Here I am now. I walked away from it, worked on it, walked away from it. Then years later, I took it seriously and finished it. Some projects take time, some come easier than others. I had more writing experience and I felt more confident about it. That was what made the difference. 

 

Cover art for Cult of the Spider People

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I prefer to write when I am inspired to write a story. I have whipped up flash fiction stories, short stories, but I do prefer to write when inspired. The stories come to life way more for me that way. I know we can’t always wait for when the muse drops in for a visit and I don’t encourage aspring writers to do so, but the story flows more fluidly for me when I am. Inspiration is a fickle muse. Real writers do not wait for inspiration. It sure is a blessing when it happens. It makes everything far easier for me. Writers must continue to practice their craft and to improve upon it every single day, every single time. Practicing their craft and not solely relying on the muse is part of being a serious writer. Writers must improve on themselves. 

On that note, however, I love Gothic horror. Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley are icons to me, like legendary masters. They received a far superior literary education than what we get in today’s modern world. They really knew how to write. I read the horror novel Gothic by Philip Fracassi. I hate the book. He knows how to write, but the reason why I hate the book is the way he treated the character Sarah.  No woman on earth will ever just shrug it off if she is raped. Never. That is such a slap in the face to women, fictional or not. I hate the book. Also, the main character’s daughter, Violet, nearly kills herself, but we – the readers – never see how she frees herself. I felt cheated and I would not be surprised if other readers felt cheated about that too. Maybe Fracassi is a mysoginist, because of the way Sarah is portrayed. I will never cheat my readers and I portray my female characters as strong. They are the heroes, bad ass, resilient, realistic, relatable, ass-kicking heroines. I hate him. I hate his book. I should burn it in my cauldron. I just wish I could burn all the other print copies on earth. I left a very negative and honest review on Goodreads. You can find my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5266026725?book_show_action=false

Here it is too:

SPOILER WARNING

I read Gothic in 3-4 days. I could not put the book down. I love gothic horror.

My greatest disappointment was the ending, particularly Violet’s fate. After reading her harrowing final scene, I was relieved to discover that she survived. However, I found her escape unconvincing. Given her circumstances and the fact that her wheelchair was out of reach, I was left wondering how she managed to free herself. The novel never provided the explanation I needed to believe in her survival.

I also found Tyson’s lack of redemption deeply disappointing. I didn’t need a happy ending, but I wanted him to demonstrate genuine concern for his family. Instead, I finished the novel feeling far more sympathy for Sarah and Violet than for Tyson himself.

Fracassi’s ability to build dread is remarkable, and the novel certainly disturbed me. Unfortunately, the ending left me feeling that the emotional and narrative payoff did not match the extraordinary tension that preceded it.

 
I much prefer the novel Relics by Tim Libbon. He portrayed the female characters much better in his book. A great read. Please do check it out. 

In other news, Samhain draws near! I am busy preparing for Samhain. I have to find out where to get black and orange candles. I saved herb seeds for a friend and I stored the seeds in labeled, individual envelopes and placed those envelopes in a much larger labeled envelope. Tomorrow night, I will gift it to my friend at the Meet & Greet at Celtic Corner. I included clary sage seeds, lavender, elecampane, garden sage, nasturtiums, oregano, mugwort and marshmallow. I hope Brian and Karen really like the seeds envelope. I also hope they enjoy growing those herbs, too. 

I enjoyed watching East of Eden on Netflix. Now I’m watching Below. Below scares the crap outta me. They did it right. The show is creepy AF. I watched Sleepy Hollow, the movie starring Johnny Depp. That is a proper Halloween movie. 

 

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O( 🕷️ 🕸️ 🦇 🖤 💀 ☠️ 🥀   🐈‍⬛ 🎃 👽

 

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October 4, 2026 · 4:08 pm

Cemetery Oracle for Horror Authors – Halloween Haunts

 

Greetings Darklings:

Today’s post is about my homemade cemetery oracle cards. I volunteered for the Horror Writers Association by taking photos in cemeteries in Halifax where I live. I sent the photos to the newsletter staff for the Horror Writers Association and they placed the photos in their monthly newsletter. Over time, I collected many photos of cemeteries. 

Recently, I got the idea that since I now had an impressive collection of photos that I should make my own oracle deck. The deck is something I have always wanted to accomplish, but I had no idea how. I had decided that the images on the cards may help me with my writing and perhaps aid other horror authors in scribing their own horrific tales. 

I had never created an oracle deck before. I sat down and free wrote a few ideas. I put that piece of paper away that contained my scribbles and notes. I found it a while later and decided I would try it. I found a website online that would make the deck of cards for me for a reasonable price, makeplayingcards.com. 

I uploaded the photos onto their website. At this phase of creation, I discovered what is involved in the creation of an oracle deck. I love the images of the cemetery photos. They are eerie, a bit sinister, and haunting. The images include headstones, white birch trees in winter, crows perched on treetops or headstones, snow frosted trees, tree branches woven like spiderwebs, cemeteries in fall and winter, my realistic looking skull, misty cemeteries, a bird’s nest, a cauldron of burning embers, and eerie trees. I love each and every image. There are 54 cards in total. 

The cards are 2.75″×4.75″ (70×120mm) and made of a standard smooth card stock with a glossy finish. I created the image of an actual crow I saw in the cemetery as the image on the backs of the cards. I tried my best to center the crow in the image. The cards are in full color which enhances their spookiness. The make playing cards website is extremely helpful when designing cards and is very straightforward. I fell in love with my oracle deck and I could not wait to receive it in the mail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I own several other oracle and tarot decks that I collected over the years, but nothing compares to my own deck. Every time I look at my cards, I am hit with a sense of nostalgia and wonder. When I lived in my old apartment, I lived very close to Mount Olivetti cemetery that holds the graves of the Titanic victims and a crow’s nest rests in a lofty perch of the tall trees. I like that, the contrast of birth in a place that many people associate with death. I often still visit there even though I moved away. Sometimes I help curious people find the Titanic section. One time, I was writing in my journal. I left to buy a coffee and returned to my spot. All this time, a small brown oak leaf kept being blown in the wind to me. I decided that it was a gift from the spirits. I took the leaf home and placed it in my journal. I still have the leaf. 

The deck came with a small velvet bag to store the cards in and a tin for storage as well. The beautiful and eerie oracle cards were intended to aid with creative writing. I am sure the cards will help. I hope that tarot or oracle cards can help other horror authors as well. The images could spark a story idea or two, perhaps a poem, a play, or a novel. All the images are clear and in color, waiting to help bring a story to life. 

The act of creation is personal. The process can mean many different things to many people. For me, it means rifling through the deck, one card at a time, or strolling through the cemetery or receiving an oak leaf as a gift. The images on the cards are striking, eerie, unsettling and haunting. Creation has no boundaries. Sometimes horror authors might get stressed out while writing a novel or a screenplay. It is important to take the time to remember the creative process, the joy and messiness of early drafts, not the prize, reward or gratification of being a New York Times bestselling author with a million ratings and rave reviews. Pause to think of what helped you achieve placing a story in an anthology or attending a writing convention. A few of my deeply favourite cards are the ones with the images of a tall tree in the nearby cemetery, its branches a dark color against a cold cool blue sky or a gnarled tree towering over aged headstones. Simple yet haunting. 

The oracle cards can be interpreted many ways. They are designed to make you think, wonder or dream. Some questions that could come to mind are: 

  • What happened here?
  • Who was here before?
  • What is hiding outside the frame?
  • What does the image make you feel?
  • Is the haunting real—or imagined?
  • What would happen if you stepped through the card?

My oracle deck is not the standard oracle deck, but it does not have to be. It just has to mean something to me. It just has to inspire me and possibly others, as well. Every card is unique and yhas meaning. Horror means different things to people too. Some people like slasher movies and other people prefer werewolves or folklore.

The most recurring theme or image in the deck is trees. Trees are awesome. They provide shade, shelter, oxygen, even lumber. They are also creepy in the wintertime, or at least, to me, they are. In the winter, the tree branches are bare and appear very differently than in a season like summer, for example. Headstones are another recurring image. Headstones in a black and white image can be a powerful image just as much as in full color, tipped over, cast in shadow, decaying. Seasons play an important part here too. The cards depict the fall and winter seasons too, since I associate fall and winter with cemeteries. The spirit energy is strongest then. Cemeteries in the winter are bleak, stark and more striking and beautiful. 

Even Stephen King has been known to own and use a tarot deck to help him with his writing. If it works for you, great. It does not need to be a complicated process. Perhaps the image sparks an idea or the meaning of the card feels very significant and relative to you at the time you read the card. Do what works for you. You can draw a single card for a reading or if you are familiar with tarot or oracle cards, then you could do a spread of cards and see if that helps you figure out a problem with plot, setting or worldbuilding or characters. The point of the cards is to spark inspiration. 

It proved very beneficial that I volunteered for the Horror Writers Association by taking those cemetery photos. I was then able to create a cool oracle deck. I am eager to discover where my creative path takes me next in the future. 

Upcoming Releases: 

The Cult of the Spider People – republished

The Mourning Tide – October 2026. 

 

EXCERPT:

Arachnall is a deadly and darkly magical world.

Welcome to the world of The Cult of the Spider People.

Piper and Cory find themselves drawn into Arachnall, a terrifying realm inhabited by the Arachnas—strange, deadly spider creatures that are far more horrifying than anything they have ever encountered. What begins as a terrifying journey becomes a fight for survival.

And sometimes, survival means trying not to look up.

Here is an excerpt from The Cult of the Spider People:

“Something struggled in a cocoon above their heads. She wanted to run from the cavern but her limbs were leaden. The creatures beat the cocoon with their large, powerful legs. Piper’s heart lurched. Terrified screams rang out from inside the cocoons. She stepped forward but Cory restrained her. He pointed above them to where a cocoon swayed dangerously. She hoped the creatures would miss them. A pitch-black creature appeared above, suspended from a glossy strand of silk. They exchanged fearful glances, frozen in place. Piper held her breath, sure the creature would hear the hammering of her heart. The monstrous limbs beat the cocoons. Its prisoner howled in terror. The movement rippled through the webbing and the cocoons rocked back and forth. Another cry rang out in the air.”

But the creatures of Arachnall are not the greatest danger.

Arachnall is ruled by Roth, the Spider King—a creature consumed by greed, bloodlust, and a desire to possess Piper as his new queen. He has imprisoned Aranya, the Spider Queen, in her own deadly lair, where she refuses to give Roth what he wants most: her pure blood and venom.

Piper, however, has plans of her own.

No one emerges from Arachnall alive.

If you enjoy dark fantasy, creatures that crawl out of nightmares, and horror that makes you wonder what could possibly be waiting in the darkness above your head, come explore Arachnall.

Just remember: once you enter the portal, there may be no way back.

Where to Find The Cult of the Spider People

The Cult of the Spider People is being republished by Dreamweaver Press, an imprint of Twisted Dreams Press, in October 2026. The new edition will be available through Amazon and other booksellers as it is released.

Follow my blog, The Paranormal Quill, for publication news, updates, and more dark and gothic delights. https://theparanormalquill.blog/

Until then, keep your eyes on the shadows—and whatever you do, don’t look up.

Heddy Johannesen

Conjuror of Gothic Horrors

Bio:

Heddy Johannesen is a paranormal enthusiast and longtime student of the writing craft. As the Conjuror of Gothic Horror, she writes about ghosts, monsters, witches, and outsiders, exploring the shadows where fear, mystery, and the supernatural collide.
Heddy has been writing seriously since 2006 and has studied the craft through courses, workshops, and mentorships. Her published work includes horror fiction, short stories, poetry, and paranormal nonfiction.
She has always been drawn to the shadows, where the monsters live and their stories hungerto be told. For Heddy, horror is more than a way to frighten readers. It is a way to explore fear, grief, courage, hope, and the mysteries that exist just beyond what we can see.

Halloween Haunts

 

 

 

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October 2, 2026 · 2:04 pm

My Creative Novel Plotting Journey

Greetings Darklings:

Tomorrow is October 1st!!! I’m excited too. The sky is gray and overcast. I am about to head out and wander around a cemetery. I like cemeteries and graveyards – they are the perfect thing to put me in the October spirit. 

I’m proud to announce that Wicked Shadow Press has published my fourteenth flash fiction story, Ashes to Dust, in the Flash of the Dead anthology. There a lot of talented authors included in the book. I can’t wait to read it. 

The cover art for the Wicked Shadow Press anthology Flash of the Dead that my story and many others appear in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s post is about my method for plotting my next horror novel, Blood and Incantations. I used a system from the book The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing- a 16-step program guaranteed to take you from idea to completed manuscript. Evan Marshall is a genius, in my opinion. Now as I always tell my readers, the first draft gives you the freedom to be as messy and creative as you can. This holds true with the first draft of your plot outline. 

I designed the section sheet page. I wrote it by hand -which I encourage you to do, and I just copied about 80-90 section sheets. I even added a gothic bone border art to the section sheets. The section sheets were too plain. I did not expect to fill all the section sheets. 

I wrote the character who is in the section of the story on the section sheets – the viewpoint character. There are three viewpoint characters in my novel: Renesmee, Mark and Donovan. I wrote down where they are in the story, when, who the character is in conflict with, the emotional phase and the rational phase. The plan involves an action and a reaction section all throughout the novel. The character runs into conflict (again and again, as it has to be), and then a rational section, where the character has reacted and now devises an action to take to take control of the conflict. Depending on who the character is, the conflict must get worse and worse throughout the novel, usually for the main character- hero, heroine, or the protagonist. 

My gothic section sheet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know that my outline needs to be tweaked and that some VP characters need more scene sections, and that another character gets more scenes, and that the outline needs more polish, but I did it! I did the thing I did not think I could do. I surprised myself and I had some amazing ideas about how to tell this dark gothic story. I also signed up for Novel November. I still have much to plan and ponder, for example, I have to design the haunted manor, write up a character sketch for the ancestor who accidentally summons the demon, create the demon character, and map out the grounds of the manor. Once I do that, I can dive deep into the novel. 

Renesmee is the main heroine of the novel Blood and Incantations. I so do look forward to writing Blood and Incantations. If I do successfully write about 50,000 words or more in Novel November, this will be the fastest I have written a novel. I write the story from the section sheets. I think they could be stronger, but once I write the novel, I can then finally edit and revise and polish. 

I highly encourage you all to attempt plotting a novel first. I loved it. I loved the process. Do not use AI. Use the deep abyss of your imagination. Reach deep inside yourself. Let it out. It wants to be. We are all born creative. Let it out to play. You can be surprised at what you create. I surprised myself! I scratched out lots of words, added new words, and let the pen flow over the pages. I found out what it is really like to plot a novel. I doubted myself too, but I tried my hardest to weave a cohesive thread throughout the novel I was plotting. That is what I am talking about. The whole process of feeling like I had no idea what I was doing and then discovering maybe I do! It was not easy and yet I loved the whole process. I want to save my notes too. 

Evan Marshall guides you through the process. I think his book is at the strongest when he shows you how to plot a novel. There are many methods and ways to do it. I guess it is all about finding what works for you. Maybe people feel more comfortable doing that on computer. I could not have written the section sheets on a computer, it has to be done on paper. I store all the sheets in a binder divided into sections. That makes it much easier on me. I can easily find the section sheets when I want to work on them. 

There is another thing to consider when working on this type of project: Characters. As I filled in section sheet after section sheet, I had to think real hard about what my characters would actually do in this type of story. You have to think about your character first, be in their skin, in their mind, know their habits, mannerisms, and how they react to certain things. How do they handle stress, violence or what would they do if they encountered a monster? Getting fired from their job? Their car is stolen? Someone cuts ahead of them in line at the grocery store? Do they have kids? A college degree? Knowing your characters inside and out helps here. I know there is tons of debate amongst writers on which comes first: plot or character, but for me, they are one. No character, no story. The PLOT is what the CHARACTERS do in the book: how they solve a problem that can sustain a whole novel. The characters have to be interesting enough too. A horror novel takes it to a new level: there is much more possibility of characters encountering a much different level of stress because the story could be plotted with something extraordinary as vampires, werewolves, werebats, zombies. radioactive lizards, demons, Pinhead, Dracula, vampire rabbits, you get the picture. So think about your character! Make them feel real and sympathetic and trust me, your readers will stay with your story. Your villain, antagonist can be human too. Hannibal is a famous example of a human antagonist. He truly comes to life on the page and on the silver screen. 

The best way to write an exceptional horror tale is to ask yourself what frightens you! For me, I hate animal cruelty, abuse (been a victim of it), violence, people screaming and shouting, confrontation, loud trucks roaring past me on the street, environmental destruction, racism, corruption, people being pepper sprayed at protests, cruelty, I could go on and on. Those issues get under my skin. A monster should not be one-dimensional, it could embody one or more qualities of the things you hate most in this world and wish would be solved. A monster could be a misunderstood ally, or the villain, but could represent deep fears, what a person is the most paranoid about or remind the hero of a painful memory buried deep down that the hero has tried extremely hard to forget. Then the monster unearths that painful memory and that could make the hero have to act. Now you have a story!

I have never seen a real vampire, zombie or werewolf. I have seen people be the monsters, behave in frightening ways, and give me nightmares or trauma for weeks or even years. A great example of a monster embodying grief or trauma is the Babadook. They screamed at me, made fun of me, forced me to endure humiliation, forced me out on the streets, physically abused me. I have seen real cruelty in humans – who are, not all people, but some, and are capable of the worst cruelty. A teacher told my mother I would never be able to read. Teachers and students tortured me and made fun of me in the classrooms, making me cry. Family members have actually physically abused me. 

Now I have written over one thousand blog posts, completed a Bachelor of Arts degree, read more books than most people combined, own the most books of all my family members. My writing has eighty appearances in publications. I have worked my tail off. But it had roots in pain, humiliation from my early days. So don’t ever be afraid to wound your main character. Don’t be afraid to put them in a hard situation in your story. That is what makes your story better! Trust me. Readers want to see the hero suffer and strive to solve an impossible situation, they want to root for the character. Do that, and you will have readers. We writers are not there to give our characters a nice day. Be mean, merciless and force the character to ACT. 

So plotting a novel, designing a great memorable character and an equally powerful antagonist, creating the setting: it is all possible with the help of The Marshall Plan. I just love the book. I know it is out of date and I do not care. Great book. It has the best system for novel plotting. It sure appeals to me. I’ve written novels without doing the plot first and had to guess at what would happen next. I think the characters really ‘took the wheel’ here this time. That’s okay, that’s part of the magical creative process. But a novel does need a sound foundation first. And a cat to supervise you as you write and sweat and ponder …. 

I hope this encourages you to pen your own novel. I bought the book on Amazon in a hardcover format. The book was published in 1998. But I love the book. It could be good for writers who are just starting out and getting their feet wet writing a novel. This is the fourth novel I have written – well, technically, not written yet but will be soon. You improve with practice. So practice. The only way ahead is forward. It can be amazing to discover what you are capable of creating! 

The second edition of Cult of the Spider People will be released on October 20th!!! I have completed the edits for The Mourning Tide and I can’t wait to see the cover art. Both books will be out this October. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

 

 

 

 

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September 21, 2026 · 12:35 pm

Why I love the Paranormal )O(

Greetings darklings:

Mabon begins tomorrow. Mabon is my favourite time of year and the second harvest Sabbat of the three harvest Sabbats. The next turn in the Wheel of the Year is our beloved and darkly magical Samhain! Mabon is all about balance, the harvest and gratitude for the abundance we have. 

I love, love, LOVE this time of year! I am so happy it’s here and brings the rainy, cool days, autumn leaves and that creepy chill. I just finished reading Gothic by Philip Fracassi. Wow, what a novel. Gothic brims with nonstop dread, horror and characters that I really cared for.  The book shocked me over and over again, as a relentless and merciless horror stalks Tyson’s family. What price is Tyson willing to pay for great stardom as a horror author? You find out- and wish you didn’t. The whole novel feels like something you shouldn’t be reading, something feels wrong from the start and NEVER.LETS.GO. This book is not for the squeamish. If you are squeamish, you may not make it to the end. 

Now I know what to make my readers feel in my own upcoming horror novel. It is important to read widely in your chosen genre. I read what other authors have written because it helps me with my own writing. I would never copy or imitate then, but it does help me improve my own writing. 

I love the paranormal, supernatural horror. It calls me to like a siren song. Once the paranormal bug has bitten you and bites deeply, that’s it, you can’t resist it. It is like that for me. It is why it keeps creeping onto the pages I write, or the movies I watch. I have researched it thoroughly over the years. It tastes like fine red wine to me. I do love my red wine. Okay, anyway, I digress. I love supernatural horror. I am not much for slashers which seems like violence for violence’s sake to me. But some people can’t get enough of that. That’s okay if it works for them. I love supernatural. Now if it was a supernatural themed slasher, okay I might get interested. Including the fact that I am a Witch and able to see the dead. Those themes or ideas do turn up a lot in my writing. Haunted manors, monsters, witches, outsiders, ghosts, curses, demons, the supernatural, heroism, hope. I keep drawing on those ideas to plant in my stories. I created my own spooky oracle deck. The image above is the image on one of my oracle cards, a photo I took myself. That image is so eerie. I am so happy I took the photo. I  know I was never meant for anything normal or mundane. Nope. I hate romance novels with an all-consuming passion. But I did write a romance in the Cult of the Spider People, the relationship between Piper and Cory at the same time I was heartbroken over a guy. I wrote what came naturally and what served the story. You may surprise yourself at what you will create. It certainly surprised me. 

The novels Something Wicked this way Comes by Ray Bradbury and I am Legend by Richard Matheson are my favorites. That is the type of fiction I love to read, that I exist for to read. They are authors after my own heart. You can leave a comment below to tell me what your favorite genre is. I would love to find out!

I hope to achieve the same magic, the same dark magic that courses through Fracassi’s, Bradbury’s and Matheson’s own novels. 

Blessed Be, Spiderwitch )O(

 

 

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September 17, 2026 · 12:15 pm

The Arachnas of Arachnall – The Cult of the Spider People )O(

Greetings Darklings:

Mabon is almost here. The leaves are turning and a chill wafts in the air. The Cult of the Spider People is scheduled to be released on October 5th!  That’s three weeks away. Today’s post will focus on creature horror, the creatures from the book The Cult of the Spider People. It has already been published, but Baynam Books Press closed. (Sigh….). Now, Dreamweaver Press is taking on the authors’ books. It won’t be much longer before Cult of the Spider People weaves new thrilling webs on Amazon. 

I am stil not sure what inspired me to create such horrifying creatures. Well, I have a few theories. I distinguished each creature from the other. I wanted to really bring them to life. I even wanted to give them their own distinct language to speak, but I am not Tolkien. He was a master at linguistics and etymology, I am not. I gave each creature individual wants and needs and personality – and distinct markings. 

Roth, the Spider King, is the master of Arachnall, the alternate dimension or underground, where the Arachnas dwell. They crave blood and lure their human victims there to feast on their blood. They trap their hapless victims in these horrifying slimy cocoons that an adult human can fit into. If the moldy dampness of the cocoons is not enough to gross you out, then when they feast on human blood, it brings a whole new level of horror. They weave and repair webs. 

Arachnall is ruled by an overlord, the Spider King, greedy, beyond evil and possesed with a bloodthirst who makes Shelob from Lord of the Rings look like a pansy. Here is an excerpt from the book: 

“She didn’t want to look at him, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away. He was more awful than any she had previously seen. A face carved from death, painted with fresh blood, a body so terrible. Piper hoped to wake from this nightmare and closed her eyes for a second. When she opened them, he was still there and he laughed. Piper’s blouse was damp with sweat and mildew from the slimy cocoon. She cringed from the odor and the clamminess. Roth, the Spider King, bowed his head in greeting to the other creatures. His gaze penetrated through the grisly cavern. He sniffed the air. The creature’s eyes were twin orbs of true pitch-darkness. He wore a black crown of spiders. His cheekbones were sunken, and his hide was charcoal black. Dried blood matted his lower jaw. Eight bristly angular legs protruded from his cephalothorax. His sardonic laughter permeated the cavern.” 

Roth, the Spider King, covets Piper and he plans to make her his new queen. He has chained the Spider Queen, trapping her in her own lair which is even more deadly than the cavern. Aranya, the Spider Queen, refuses to share her pure blood/ venom with Roth and the other Arachnas. Piper has other plans. 

The Spider Queen Aranya is described as a black widow Arachnas. She has the colourings, markings and bloodthirst of a black widow. Her lair and her darkly beautiful but deadly appearance is described here: 

“If the corridor was not evil enough, the lair of the Spider Queen was a hundred times worse. An enormous black web spanned twenty meters swaying like a spectral ghost. The lair was replete with decrepit skeletons. Dead insects, humans and animals hung from the web like baubles. Spiderling Arachnas wove silk cocoons, eager for an unwary victim. The stench of blood permeated the lair. 

Something menacing rested above the web. The cocoons bearing dead and alive prey made her want to scream. Bones of every shape and size riddled the ground beneath the massive web. Blood coated everything. More of the strange Arachnall symbols were etched onto the cave walls. Lifeless eyes stared at her as she passed them. A spiderling crept out from the hollow mouth of a skeleton. Revulsed, Piper turned away and her gut clenched hard. /

The Spider Queen’s gaze pierced through Piper’s soul. Her body was stunning. Her lower body was of an Arachnas. Her black wavy hair hung down her front and her back. Horns curved down her head. Her alabaster skin was flawless.  She wore the symbol of the Arachnas on her forehead, and she bore no clothing. Her cephalothorax was black but bore a single large red spot shaped like an hourglass. Her razor-sharp ebony fingernails were blood-stained. Eight sinewy black legs arched high on either side of her body. The Spider Queen rose to her full height.”

Is that enough to make you scream and run for your life? I would think so. She is beautiful and deadly all at once. Quite fitting for a black widow Spider Queen. 

The creature that dwells in the Pit is not as merciful as the Spider Queen. “The Arachnas prowled to where they climbed the hill,, caught them and threw them to the ground. They yelled and tried to escape from its formidable grasp. A battle -scarred Arachnas loomed over them. She stared at the Arachnas’s scarred hide in disbelief and wonder. His thick horns curved like a ram’s. The beast gazed at them coldly, and his jaws dripped saliva. An iridescent blue streaked across his body. The eight legs were less sinewy than the others. The cephalothorax was bloated, and his face bore a jagged scar. He sniffed them both. Cory drew back in fear.” / “The monster leered, exposing several razor-sharp fangs. His pointed ears twitched, and the black bristles on his legs quivered with anticipation. “Oh, you look tasty, boy,” the Arachnas said as it leered and grabbed Cory by his shoulder. He turned away, unable to look. ” / “The aged Arachnas’s pedipalps twitched. He bent his spidery legs back, crouched low to lunge, and reared, exposing his deadly stinger. He hissed menacingly. Cory dodged the stinger in time and cowered behind the dead Arachnas.” Nightmare inducing, n’est pas?

The Cult of the Spider People was much effort to write, but I knew in my heart it was worth everything. I am glad I made each Arachnas distinct from each other. It made the bloodthirsty and horrifying beasts much more interesting and intriguing. They are terrifying and unstoppable. That makes them scarier. My friend, Nora Peevy, believed that the “Human Centipede would feel right at home”, in her review of my book The Cult of the Spider People. I believe she is quite correct. 

It may mean investing more effort into your own imaginative writings, but I hope you do choose to go that route. That is the difference between a boring, banal story or something brimming with imagination. It is worth it, trust me. I encourage you all to try and create your own underworld of dark creatures or werewolves or a zombie. Write the book only  you can write. Discover your own voice. Believe me, that is what all overworked, weary editors want to see. Something fresh and unique that sets you apart from a million other writers. Your. Story.In.Your. Voice. Only. That is the magical formula! 

Follow my blog, The Paranormal Quill, for publication news, updates, and more dark and gothic delights. https://theparanormalquill.blog/

Until then, keep your eyes on the shadows—and whatever you do, don’t look up. 

Heddy Johannesen

Conjuror of Gothic Horrors

Gothic horror and cosmic dread from the ghostly shores of Halifax.

Bio: 

Heddy Johannesen is a paranormal enthusiast and long time student of the writing craft. As the Conjuror of Gothic Horror, she writes about ghosts, monsters, witches, and outsiders, exploring the shadows where fear, mystery, and the supernatural collide.
Heddy has been writing seriously since 2006 and has studied the craft through courses, workshops, and mentorships. Her published work includes horror fiction, short stories, poetry, and paranormal nonfiction.
She has always been drawn to the shadows, where the monsters live and their stories hunger to be told. For Heddy, horror is more than a way to frighten readers. It is a way to explore fear, grief, courage, hope, and the mysteries that exist just beyond what we can see.

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

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September 16, 2026 · 10:48 am

Sewing and misadventures – oh my!

Greetings darklings:

Let the countdown begin! The countdown to Samhain .. 

I signed up for MasterWriter. I will try it and see what I think. I am impressed with it so far. Last night, I was just out on an what I would call- Unsought for Adventure. We went on this brutal terrain trail. We had never done it before. The light was gone quick. We got lost. Spruce tree branches barred the way ahead or whipped my face. We relied on Derrick’s cell phone light. We fought our way over rough rocks, huge tree branches, roots, massive uprooted tree roots, marsh. It was nasty. We were lost when the gods above decided to send us an angel along with his sweet, white, four-footed shaggy companion – a darling dog named Jericho. She was so sweet. Jack and Jericho helped us find our way back to the path and to the parking lot. Never again. Penny is so relieved to see me- I am the provider. We would have been fucked if it were not for Jack. We planned originally to make our way back to the car within 20-30 minutes. We are okay now and about to enjoy hamburgers. We did not see any wildlife that wanted to eat us. I am so relieved to be back. I took a hot shower for my achy bones. Saved by Jack and his sweet shaggy dog.

I have decided to sew a witchy dress for The Witches Ball, and to wear all the time. The dress will be simple, witchy and elegant. I want to save as much money to make it as possible. I may have mentioned this in a previous post. I have gathered all the pdf paper pieces – 95 of them, to be exact, and cut most of it out. It took me three hours to arrange the patterns today and I was still not finished. I was so close to being done, but the creative room at the library was closing. I will return next time it is available  and this time, I will bring the black bedsheet. I know you want to scoff or laugh, but I just don’t have the budget for tons of fabric. I have to be frugal. The front and back of the dress will be simple and elegant, and the sleeves will make the statement. 

The Lou Duggan Creative Studio is my creative home away from home. I love it there. I am always there. I can do any creative project I desire. I could do it at home, but I most certainly do not have the room to make my projects. This dress, for example, is a huge pattern project. I mean it is too big, it is unreal. 

If I have enough fabric left from cutting the body of the dress and the ruffles, then I would not need to buy black cotton from the fabric store. I really hope I don’t have to. The black bedsheet is cotton fabric and not being used. Why not? The sleeves will be expensive. The bedsheet is a queen size and I need almost 4 meters of fabric, 3.9. I may have enough. The sleeves will be made from black velvet and organza. I was going to use chiffon, but changed my mind. I will also use an elastic casing and interfacing to give it stability. I have to wait to buy the rest of the sleeve material, but it will be worth the wait. Then, the spiderweb lace on the sleeves and maybe the collar. I want to sew on a double ruffle at the hem of the dress. I think it will be beautiful. The elastic casing is for the two sections of the upper and lower sleeves. I want to use the arwen pattern for the lower sleeves, even though the pattern does not call for that. It is my dress and I have enough sewing experience that an alteration like that will be easy to do. I think that will be far more feminine. 

Update on the dress: Bless my broomsticks, but it was not easy. I did end up buying black fabric for the dress and it drapes well. It is perfect for the dress. 

Ok. I cut out all the fabric pattern pieces at the library. I had to drag the pattern pieces to the fabric store to know how much fabric to buy. The pattern said 3.9 and for the body of the dress, I did 4.2. That may or may not include the sleeves. Ok so I thought I got enough fabric. My sewing machine at home jammed on me 3 times… the troubles rolled on from there
I had to go back to the store for more fabric. Again and again and again – more velvet, more bias tape, more ribbon
I finally learned how to thread the needle and bobbinn PROPERLY
I sewed the sleeves. I wanted to add the organza lower hem ruffle to the lined upper velvet sleeve.. and realized the organza was too delicate to handle it alone. I realized that at the library and fixed it at home. 
I added the velvet to one sleeve ruffle – on the inside – wrong side of the sleeve
I sewed the ruffle to the lower hem of the dress and the guy at the library thought it would be funny if the stitch width was so miniscule as to be impossible to even see- I sewed the ruffle to the dress – wrong side showing up on the right side of the dress. I had to seam rip all those teeny tiny stitches. Ugh 
I pinned and sewed the ruffle on again and realized the stitches never went in. I had to do it all over again a third time. I did it, but then a seam bulged because the ruffle has to be gathered in. 
I sewed in bias tape to the neckline. Then I added the trim. That stabilized the neckline. No facing. 
The seam ripper was so sharp it put holes in the fabric which can be fixed
Before I learned how to thread the bobbin and the needle, I tried to see if they could fix the machine at the library. They did not. Ugh 
I used buckram for the first time for the witch hat. It is white. The witch hat is black velvet. I have to attach more trim to conceal spots where the white buckram shows. Then work in the millinery wire
My sewing machine acted like a diva. I tried the dress on and it pulls a little on the upper arm area, but it is otherwise okay. 
Attaching the lower sleeve ruffle to the upper sleeves was a brutal lesson in itself. Always right sides together. 
From bobbins being empty at the so wrong moment, to me being stabbed by pins, to me losing my temper over fabric refusing to obey me, to the machine jamming till I finally found a video that showed me how to thread it properly, to installing a new sewing needle, to endless seam ripping, to trips back and forth from the library with fabric bags, to hauling huge pattern pieces to the fabric store and back, it has been an unbelievable experience. 
I figured out the lower sleeve ruffle construction to fit the upper sleeve cap. I had to sew the organza to the velvet and gather it from 22 inches to 14 inches. Ugh I even used a measuring tape. But the sleeves are great now and beautiful. Tomorrow I have to add the organza to the ruffle on the right side of the fabric. It was not sewn in. I snipped endless amounts of black threads. Thankfully, I changed my mind about the elastic casing (sleeves), not needed. 
I sewed one sleeve ruffle to the upper sleeve cap then discovered it was possible to do on a machine. It was not easy
Before I learned how to properly thread the bobbin and needle, I threaded the needle like ten times, removed the steel plate with whatever tool I could find and checked it 3 or 4 times (and cleaned it up) , and threaded the bobbin a few times. Screamed. Gnashed my teeth. The print manual was useless. I finally found videos that showed me ! I even believed my machine needed to be serviced. Nope. It was the tension. 
I kept checking my tension on scrap pieces. 
I stitched together the sleeve pieces for the upper sleeve cap and stupid me, thought I was being clever: I left a spot to turn the sleeve out so raw edges would not show. Nope! I found out the hard way that was wrong. I sewed the part closed where it was open, then had to seam rip and turn my fabric wrong side out and then seam rip it all and then found the right way to put the velvet, organza and the lining together correctly. Ugh. 
Then i found out the machine did not like the fragile spiderweb lace. Ok do it by hand on the lower sleeve ruffles. ugh
I finally learned which stitch tension and stitch width was good for sewing the black polyester fabric. 9 pattern, 3 mm stitch width and #5 tension. !!!!!
At least it went well when I sewed the whole sleeves into the dress and the bias tape and the neckline. 
The back neckline looks lower than the front neckline or it could just be the dress form
One sleeve looks higher than the other or it could just be the dress form
I made sure to line up the seam on the lower sleeve ruffle with the seam on the upper sleeve cap. It is always so much nicer when the sleeve seams match!! 
I thought I fixed the part where the fabric pushed out at the side seam and the lower hem ruffle. The fabric just looked puckered badly. I seam ripped it all and a way up the side of the dress and then pinned and sewed it and it looks better, but I think that since the side seam of the ruffle is near the side seam of the dress, if I open just that part of it again, and then see how it hangs and pin it and maybe tuck or gather the fabric in, that it might just go into place. 
… what an experience. 

I can’t wait to see it on my dress form. I am sure it will be beautiful! I have to touch up a few spots where the seam ripper poked holes in the fabric and sew the organza ruffle to the hem and gather it in. I will return to the Lou Duggan Creative Studio tomorrow morning. I just want to be done with the project. I can’t wait to see the dress on my dress form- and on me, too! 

My Witch hat is almost finished too!

 

Till next time…

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

 

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September 8, 2026 · 2:50 pm

Autumn Inspirations: When the world turns Golden

Greetings Darklings:

September is here with all of its autumnal glory. I’m ready, more than ready! I have been busy, whether that be pressing flowers and herbs, keeping an eye on my growing turnip and carrots, setting my black plush blanket on my bed and raiding Dollarama for halloween goodies. I don’t mean candy. I found a too cool black plush cushion bedecked with a big silvery spiderweb print. It screamed Buy me and I obeyed. It is so me. Of course. I also found a witch doll, a black spiderweb lace tablecloth and a similar table runner. I have plans for the fabric. 

I plan to donate my gothic backpack. It bit the dust. Before I donate it, I salvaged the following items:

  • Two substantial black leather belt straps with buckles
  • Three Killstar metal logo tabs
  • A rectangular Killstar “Rage Realm” plaque
  • A large silver pentagram pendant
  • Two long, narrow leather pieces with multiple eyelets
  • A studded leather strap/belt piece
  • A small rectangular leather-backed piece

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am proud of myself for removing those items as well as I did. Now I can allow the old backpack to retire in peace. I ordered a new ultra cool bag from Killstar.

I have a new inspiration for sewing a spooky witchy dress for Samhain. I can’t afford to buy luxe fabrics to make it but why should I? I found my old unused black cotton bedsheet which is a queen size. I also dug out my black spiderweb lace tablecloths and runners. I do not want to spend a ton of money. I plan to make a simple dress using a pattern I already have and have already used. I have saved a ton of money right there. I want to use the Victorian Nightgown Sewing Pattern: Renaissance Chemise Dress. It’s not the Arwen pattern and I just don’t have the budget. I will cut out the pattern tomorrow morning in the crafts room at the library. I ditched my idea of forcing a sleeve to fit into a dress that is a different size now. The body of the dress will be simple yet elegant and the sleeves will make the statement.

I downloaded a spiderweb pattern to embroider onto the upper sleeve cap. I still want to sew arwen sleeves, not the sleeves from the nightgown pattern. I have to be frugal with the amount of fabric I plan to use. I hope this plan works. I do plan to sew the lower sleeves from chiffon, the upper sleeves from velvet or velveteen. I will sew the spiderweb lace onto the lower sleeves, not the spiderweb fabric from dollarama, but the fabric I ordered from Etsy – real fabric. I hope the two different fabrics don’t contrast each other too much. I do think a gathered elastic neckline would look exquisite and far more preferable. 

I am sure I can turn the fabric into a spooky, witchy dress ready for Samhain. I will just have to use persuasion. That is my #1 rule about craft projects: never force it. You get more done when you coax or persuade. Don’t craft when you are angry, or at least allow yourself to slip into that deep meditative state. It works for me every time. The process of creating is meant to be enjoyed, a process of discovery. 

I baked a loaf of herb bread last night. I found out too late that my loaf of herb bread was supposed to be baked in a smaller skillet. I didn’t know but it is still mouth watering delicious. I sprinkled in fresh rosemary and dried oregano, thyme and basil. Oh the bread smells so good and tastes even better. I planted four amethyst funds beans in the pot with my blooming turnip and carrots. I did harvest two beans. I let them dry. The beans were fully dried, which I stored in a dated and labeled envelope. I hope to get to do the same with the new beans. I hope they grow well. 

The weather here lately has been cool and wet. The overcast sky and cooler temperatures tell me that fall is here, not on its way. It Arrived! On the subject of arrivals, my copy of Tales from the Hearth arrived, an anthology my short story is published in. I plan to grab a copy of the latest Wicked Shadow Press anthology soon.

I’ve harvested a few herbs from the bountiful garden in our backyard. Mints, oregano, lemon balm. I want to press a few herbs and use the rest in teas.

I am ready for Fall!

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

 

 

 

 

 

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